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Members of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee gained feedback this week about three draft proposals to reform how and when veterans seek private-sector health care, setting the stage for negotiations between Democrats and Republicans on what might be the biggest task for the committee this year. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., the chairman of the committee, said an "amazing amount" has been accomplished so far this session and he contributed it to an amendable relationship between Republicans and Democrats on the committee.
President Donald Trump finally sits down with Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday, and though the square knot-shaped logos decorating this German port city say this is the G-20, the U.S.-Russian summit on the sidelines is the meeting that has the world holding its breath. Syria, Ukraine and the war on terror will no doubt come out when the two presidents hold their first face-to-face encounter, a 35-minute chat set for Friday afternoon against the backdrop of antiglobalist protests.
Either Republican Karen Handel will claim a seat that has been in her party's hands since 1979 or Democrat Jon Ossoff will manage an upset that will rattle Washington ahead of the 2018 mid-term elections. As much of the district was drenched by rain and under flash flood warnings, election officials reported few issues at the polls amid steady turnout by early afternoon.
Rain isn't slowing down the Georgia voters who will settle the most expensive House race in U.S. history and potentially set a new course for the 2018 midterm elections. Republican Karen Handel, a veteran Georgia politician, is fighting to claim the 6th Congressional District seat that's been in her party's hands since 1979.
The most expensive House race in U.S. history heads to voters Tuesday in the northern suburbs of Atlanta. Either Republican Karen Handel will claim a seat that's been in her party's hands since 1979 or Democrat Jon Ossoff will manage an upset that will rattle Washington ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.
Trying to stave off a major upset ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, two of President Donald Trump's Cabinet officers returned to Atlanta's traditionally conservative suburbs and urged Republican voters to maintain the GOP's monopoly control in Washington. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, a former two-term Georgia governor, took sharp aim at Republican Karen Handel's opponent in Tuesday's congressional runoff election, 30-year-old Democrat Jon Ossoff, who has raised more than $23 million from people around the country hoping for a victory that could turn the tide on Trump.
A lot of green - more than $36 million, according to the latest campaign financial filings - is flowing toward Georgia's 6th Congressional District as part of the GOP's efforts to keep the district Republican red while the Democrats aim to paint it blue.
President Donald Trump wants $108 million to deepen harbours for two U.S. seaports, while other ports scrambling to make room for larger cargo ships will benefit from a boost of more than $56 million already approved by Congress. Ports from New England to Texas are seeking more than $4.6 billion in federal and state funding to deepen their harbours.
Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson is on the verge of passing legislation that would make firing VA employees easier. This in response to years of complaints that VA health centers around the country have kept bad employees on board.
President Trump, accompanied by Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, center, holds up an executive order on "Improving Accountability and Whistleblower Protection" after signing it at the Department of Veterans Affairs, April 27, in Washington. On the same day President Trump plunged the nation into crisis by sacking the FBI director, a court ruling demonstrated the importance of due process for federal employees being fired.
Congressional Republicans and Democrats have reached agreement on a long-stalled bill to make it easier for the Department of Veterans Affairs to fire its employees, part of an accountability effort touted by President Donald Trump. The deal announced Thursday could smooth the way for final passage on an issue that had been in limbo since the 2014 wait-time scandal at the Phoenix VA medical center.
Nearly two months after the House passed legislation that would allow Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin to fire bad workers more quickly, the Senate on Thursday introduced its own version of the bill - one with bipartisan support. The bill, a deal between Senate Republicans and Democrats, signals the most likely opportunity that Congress has to pass VA accountability legislation following the 2014 scandal when veterans were found to be waiting long periods for health care.
The move allows President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch to be confirmed by a simple majority vote, instead of the longstanding supermajority threshold of 60 votes. Republican Johnny Isakson of Georgia did not vote.
Anita Tucker, right, who ran last year as the Democratic challenger for the District 5 Board of Education seat, has been working with other party members in Forsyth, north Georgia and metro Atlanta to protest elected officials and other matters, most notably at the office of U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson. Forsyth County and the surrounding region have long been known as Republican strongholds, but local Democrats are taking a stand.
Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin says Congress needs to act quickly to extend a program aimed at widening veterans' access to private-sector health care, pointing to a growing demand for medical treatment outside the Department of Veterans Affairs. Shulkin also pledged additional efforts by his agency to combat suicide, saying he wanted to expand mental health care to former service members who receive "other than honorable discharges" from the military, typically for behavior problems such as violence or use of illegal drugs.
Four Republican U.S. senators have not yet said whether they will support labor secretary nominee Andrew Puzder, raising suspense about whether he will survive an initial confirmation hearing this week. The four senators - Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Tim Scott of South Carolina and Johnny Isakson of Georgia - all sit on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, which will on Thursday hold the first confirmation hearing for Puzder, President Donald Trump's pick to head the Labor Department.
The chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee is predicting a smooth path to confirmation for David Shulkin, President Donald Trump's choice to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Sen. Johnny Isakson met with Shulkin on Tuesday.
The Senate... . Health and Human Services Secretary-designate, Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., right, accompanied by Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., pauses while testifying on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017, at his confirmation hearing... .
If and when U.S. Rep. Tom Price, R-Georgia, is confirmed as President-elect Donald Trump's top health policy adviser and head of the Department of Health and Human Services, his successor will be chosen through a special election.
As Inauguration Day nears and Congress returns to work, Republicans are still seeking out the best way to move forward on Obamacare repeal. Many Republican members want to see the process begin promptly in January, but some of their colleagues-along with the health care industry-believe it is important to first establish at least a sense of direction for a replacement plan.